Finally hiking again - Isaszeg

After the tour of Budapest took a bit longer than planned, I postpone the start of the journey for one day. On Friday (21.07.2017) we set off again in the late morning. We cross the Danube via the Újpesti vasúti híd (a railway bridge) and then walk through Pest to the east. We pass through districts with a rural appearance, suburban character, and extensive prefabricated housing estates. After about 10km we take a break under the shade of some trees near the Pólus Center. The next 10km lead us along the Szilas patak (a small stream) towards the southeast. We reach the Naplás-tó (a small pond) in the late afternoon, where we set up our camp for the night.

Saturday morning starts off very unpleasantly. I wake up for the first time around six thirty and wonder why Rango is standing somewhat helplessly next to me in the tent. After a short period of orientation, it becomes clear why: the Dicke flooded the tent. Quite pissed off (only in the figurative sense), I get up and kick Rango out of our shared accommodation. After cleaning up the mess and getting rid of a few losses, we have breakfast. After that, the world looks a little rosier again. The hiking day starts shortly after the start with hazy and drizzly weather, which somehow fits in with the temporarily clouded mood within our travel group. Under the influence of the first rays of sunshine, we take a lunch break in the Hungarian Puszta. A chance to change hiking shoes and take care of my first two blisters with plasters. We continue through mostly open, gently hilly landscapes. By now, the sun is quite intense and the water supplies are running low. I have removed a small detour to refill water from the route and taken a direct course to the next campsite. Near the potential overnight stay, I decide to shorten the way a bit and we push our way through about 2 meters of tall reeds for 150 meters. Until this point, all the streams marked on my map were dry. The one to overcome, of course, is not. The supposed trickle, about 1.50 meters wide, waist-deep and with muddy ground, proves to be a real obstacle. My old hiking shoes have their last use and I can slowly carry the shared luggage to the other bank, dry piece by piece. Rango doesn't hesitate either, the Dicke fearlessly jumps half to the other bank and half into the water. No sign of fear of water anymore. That definitely improves the mood in the hiking tandem. After climbing the steep bank, still covered by tall reeds, we are faced with the next obstacle. A fence blocks the way ahead. Fortunately, there is a larger gap nearby and we reach the campsite. But it quickly becomes clear that no guest has stayed here for a long time. The presumed owner, whom we meet while feeding the cows, confirms this to us, visibly surprised by our sudden appearance. So off to the next village called Isaszeg, where according to the map, drinking water and food supplies can be replenished. After both tasks are done, we need to find a place to sleep. About 1km north, there are several larger bodies of water on the outskirts. When we arrive there, we are faced with another fence. These are large fishing ponds. After a short conversation with the responsible person from the fishing club, I am allowed to set up my tent overnight for a fee. I am offered dinner and I can sit at the regulars' table for a while. My journey is met with great interest by the younger people, but it is difficult to explain to some of the older attendees why I don't just take the train to Romania...